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Todd Dills

Hauling the Capitol Christmas tree with driver Duane Brusseau

Now retired after a career that spanned the better part of five decades, San Jose, Calif.-based Duane Brusseau is in his third year with some involvement in the cross-country haul of the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree. He was the lead driver on the 2011 haul that originated in California, and last year he was codriver of the second rig — pulling a standard 53-ft. van — that accompanied lead driver and Senator Ben Campbell of Colorado, where that tree originated.

2013 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree lead driver Duane Brusseau

This year, with the 2014 Mack Pinnacle and expandable long-load trailer at a total 103 feet in length, he’s had his work cut out for him on the long trek with numerous stops across the United States from Northeast Washington State, where the haul originated with the cutting of the tree in Newport. I caught up with him yesterday at the stop here in Nashville, Tenn., in the Macy’s parking lot at Cool Springs Galleria south of town.

The journey started the 22nd of October, he says, when he and likewise California-based codriver Galon Baker (a current driver for Wal-Mart) flew to Allentown, Pa., to pick up the two specially-wrapped 2014 Mack Pinnacles they’d drive on the haul. “We took them to Washington State to the town of Newport up in the Northeast corner” of the state, he says. “We spent about four or five days there with the cutting of the tree” and the involved process of placing it on the trailer. You’ll remember this picture we posted here a couple weeks back, showing what it looked like before “packaging,” as it were:

And here’s how it’s actually being hauled:

“The tree weighs 10,000 lbs,” says Brusseau, and is 30 ft. wide at the bottom, approximately, and 80 feet tall.” Imagine the work that went into securing the tree in the binding sleeve to fit the standard-width trailer.

Following such work, Brusseau and Baker have been moving slowly across the country, after “a tour through Washington State,” he says, then into Oregon, Idaho, to Salt Lake City, across Texas into Arkansas and, yesterday, Tennessee. “We’ll be arriving in Washington, D.C., Nov. 25,” Brusseau says. “They’ll unload the tree from the truck and they’ll put it in a five-foot hole, cement it in and tether it. It will take them 5-6 days, then, to decorate it.”

In the 53-ft. van Baker is hauling (pictured, right), Brusseau adds, are “80 eight-foot-tall trees from the Republic, Wash., area. They will go inside the Capitol offices. Also, there’s about six pallets of ornaments made by the schoolchildren of Washington State that will go on the main tree.” In addition, two 25-ft. trees in the van will go inside the U.S. Forest Service offices in D.C. and one other.

All in all, says, Brusseau, it’s a capital haul for him. His wife, Bobbie, is along for the run, and “it’s a lot of fun,” he says. On the dozens of stops the unit is making, “we see the country, meet lots of great people. I’m retired, so it’s a great retirement project.”

In the video at the bottom of this post, Brusseau talks briefly about the many signatures schoolchildren and others have added to the 80-ft. banners on either side of the trailer. Find more pictures of the truck and the Nashville signing events in the gallery here.

Why would a Muslim want a Christmas tree in front of “his” house. It might offend his supporters. Just sayin….

Kendall Oakleaf

I would like to see a DOT officer with a attitude like the one that pulled me over and performed a level 3 inspection almost 2 hours and could not find anything wrong so he was determined to and proceeded to tell me my steering was loose. I asked where and to please show me but for some reason I could not see what he persistently observed after many attempts to show me I still could not see what he saw he said if I could tighten the bolts he would not put me out of service I attempted to tighten them but I could not move them whatsoever after trying he took another look and said it was fixed,(funny I did not even move the dam bolts) and he still wrote an out of service on me but noted that driver repaired on scene. Funny I have 18 brand new tires and rims
all new air bags
10 new drums
all new slack adjusters
all new brake chambers
All new seals, Bearings ,shocks
and many other new parts on my truck it is very well maintained no problems whatsoever except a DOUCHEBAG DOT OFFICER. 8 !/2 years independent and new a bad inspection

louis

U need to tell us where this inspection was and what state it was in. Thanks, Holysmoke.

Kendall Oakleaf

ST Marks Florida Just south of Tallahassee FL Officers name Trooper M Chaffin

brenda

you are an idiot

Betty Boop

I’m a truck driver and I would not have hauled it, regardless what it paid.

Bella Glover

Justen bever is happy

Christie Fields

Don’t tolerate this kind of crap. You need to get a hold of his boss and tell them what happened and that this harrassment is unacceptable.

Todd Dills

Todd Dills is Senior Editor of Overdrive magazine and writes from Nashville, Tenn. He frequently covers business, regulatory and lifestyle topics for the magazine and at OverdriveOnline.com. His work on the “CSA’s Data Trail” series in Overdrive about the federal CSA program was awarded the highest honor in trade journalism – the “Grand Neal” – by American Business Media at the 2014 Jesse H. Neal Awards. Dills’ Channel 19 blog covers a grab bag of on-highway hearsay, owner-operator news and driver views from the roadways the nation over. His work in trucking journalism builds on a background of news feature, fiction and other creative writing and editing. Find him here at the Channel 19 blog and via his Twitter feed, or send tips to tdills@randallreilly.com or via phone at 205-907-2481.